Abbott said in a written statement that he had appointed John
Scott, an attorney and former Texas secretary of state under
Abbott, as interim attorney general.
Scott also served as the Texas deputy attorney general for civil
litigation from 2012 to 2015, during Abbott's own final term as
attorney general.
Paxton, 60, by law was suspended from his attorney general post
after he was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives on
Saturday.
The Texas Senate will try Paxton on the 20 articles of
impeachment lodged against him. If two-thirds of the 31 senators
find him guilty, he will be removed from office. If not, he will
be reinstated. The Senate has said Paxton's trial will begin no
later than Aug. 28. Paxton's wife, Angela, is as a senator and
chair of the Republican caucus in the chamber; she has yet to
say whether she will recuse herself from his trial.
Allegations of wrongdoing have long dogged Paxton, who was first
elected as attorney general in 2014 and has maintained his
innocence, saying his detractors are politically motivated.
Paxton was indicted in 2015 by state prosecutors on three felony
securities fraud charges. Paxton says he is innocent. No trial
has taken place amid repeated procedural delays. The Texas court
of criminal appeals is weighing what the venue of any trial
should be.
Paxton is also under a separate corruption investigation by the
Justice Department, according to the special prosecutors in
Texas leading his state case. The Justice Department did not
respond to requests for comment.
Paxton's impeachment was triggered by his office's request that
the House fund a $3.3 million lawsuit settlement he reached with
four whistleblowers from his office.
The former high-ranking aides to Paxton accused him in 2020 of
corruption. They filed a lawsuit against him after being fired.
(Reporting by Brad Brooks in Lubbock, Texas; Editing by Daniel
Wallis)
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